Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-12-16
TRIALS OF PHYSICIANS.
A Doctor Talks of the Difficulties En-
countered in Practicing Medicine.

A Doctor Talks of the Difficulties En-
countered in Practicing Medicine.
"The first five years are the darkest in
ayoung doctors life, said well known
physician. 1T does not matter how
nicely he is getting on. he is sure to have
built his expectations too high. \ medi-
cal man always thinks he is doing better
than he is. Leaving the simon pure
charity cases out of the question alto
gether, l have always thought myself
lucky if l collected one-half Of my ac-
counts. While a reputable doctor looks
upon advertising in a general way as
something tabooed, many of us, doubt
not, in our young days have resorted to
driving rapidly through various streets
in the middle of the day. | never knew
this little scheme to hang fire. and by the
time got back to the office frequently
found two or three calls ON the slate.
San officious friend of mine contin-
ued the doctor. ''once advised me to set
tie in the country where the competition
WASH so great In six months ] came
near starving to death. The place was
SO sparselv peopled and the patients so
far apart that my time and clothes were
worth more than my fees By selling
my library managed to buy horse and
buggy, and 90 to work on the co-opera-
tive plan. divided the county off into
four districts, each of which | visited
once a week. My method was to keep a
family in Thorough repair for a stipulated
sum per moth. Nearly all the inhabi-
tants became subscribers. and l might
have thrived well on my little monopoly
if another smart doctor hadn' t stepped in
and reduced the rate. returned to the
CITY, there settled down and married, and
after having had a couple of well known
men die on my hands, found myself ia
nous and in possession of a lucrative
practice.
mo, don't think there is as much
bleeding of patients as is commonly sup
posed. Of course human nature is the
same in a doctor as in any one else. He
is always number one, and the patient
number two. There are some people
whom you have got to keep on the sick
list all the time. They would not be
happy unless they could tell their friends
all about tie torpidity of their liver and
the unsounlness of their lungs. a doctor
must humor such patients. and assure
them they are really ill whenever they
take fancy to being SO. This is a kind
Of bleeding that will never stop so long as
there are such people in the world. The
old doctor | studied under used to tell a
good story at his own expense. In his
early days of struggle friend twitted
him upon taking so long to cure patient
why man, replied the old doctor. !
have so few patients that l can t afford tc
cure any of them.
Speaking of quacks, continued the
doctor after pause, you would be sur
prised what a strong hold the empirca
fraternity has upon nervous people
They are easily convinced that there i.
something awful the matter with them
An aggravated case of this kind recently
came Under my notice. A man, who's,
business often called him from home fol
months at time, rushed wildly into my
Office one day and begged me to visit hi
wife. He said that if | couldn't get he
out Of her megrims he would either hav,
to procure divorce. or commit suicide
1t seemed that the woman, during one o
her husbands periodical absences. fel
into the clutches of a female lecturer
who bled her for all she was worth
the shadow of her former self She wa
; melancholy and peevish, and was slowl,
wearing herself away The whole hous
was turned into an apothecary shop, ant
the woman herself was a walking adver
tisenent of the empires wares. \
. nigh, she made herself hideous by wear
/ ing complexion mask and medicate'
gloves that made her hands look lik
sugar cured hams. There was scarcel,
an inch of her whole body that was a
+ nature made it. When | examined he
, she lad on liver pad, two lung pads.
porous plaster for a weak back, anothe
, for weak stomach for the sake o
symmetry, suppose, belts and bands o
t arms and legs to prevent varicose veins
{ night boots to keep the feet warm. an
, magnetic clothing wherever there wa
+ room for it. The bed itself was fearful
= and wonderfully made. with all paten
( appliances. felt very sorry for the hu,
a band who seemed to think a great de;
of his wife. He was very patient with hel
! although more than once he cOnfeSse
, it was hard for man to love. cheris
and protect a woman who logged herse
y out in such a fashion. 1t was a har
q case TO treat. but we finally conquered.
: New York Evening sun.
n In an Etruscan Tomb.